CHL Players of the Week: Feb. 3-9

Each week throughout the regular season, the CHL will recognize the OHL, QMJHL and WHL’s top players as chosen by the member leagues:

OHL

In a trio of road games last week, Igor Chernyshov (SJ) had five goals and 10 points for the Saginaw Spirit. In a 6-3 win over Windsor on Feb. 5, he had two goals and an assist and followed that up with a goal and an assist in a 4-2 loss to Brantford Feb. 7. He ended the week with a five-point (2G, 3A) showing as Saginaw beat Guelph 10-7 on Feb. 8. Since his OHL debut Jan. 30, Chernyshov has eight goals and 14 points in only five games.

In goal, Brantford’s Ryerson Leenders (BUF) registered a 2-0-1 record in three appearances with Brantford. On Feb. 5 he stopped 36 shots in a 2-1 against Sudbury while two days later he made 31 stops as Brantford doubled up Saginaw 4-2. He ended the week with a 34-save effort in a 3-2 overtime loss to Windsor on Feb. 8. Leenders is 19-11-3 with a .906 save percentage and 3.20 GAA in 33 games this season.

QMJHL

Across three appearances last week, Drummondville’s Sam Oliver had five goals and seven points. On Feb. 5 Oliver had a goal in a 3-2 overtime loss to Rouyn-Noranda. On Feb. 7 and 8, Oliver had three points (2G, 1A) in each game as the Volts beat Sherbrooke and Victoriaville respectively. Oliver’s 42 goals leads the QMJHL while he ranks 10th in scoring with 61 points.

Chicoutimi’s Raphaël Précourt was named to the QMJHL’s Team of the Week after he won two home starts. Précourt turned away 24 shots Feb. 5 in a 4-1 win over Quebec and 48 hours later he made 23 saves in a 4-1 victory versus Rimouski. Précourt’s 22 wins are sixth most in the QMJHL while he sports a 2.66 GAA and .909 save percentage.

WHL

In four games with Victoria. Cole Reschny (2025) tallied 11 points (four goals). He began the week with a four-point (2G, 2A) effort as the Royals beat Kelowna 7-3 on Feb. 4 while 24 hours later he had two assists as Victoria took down the Rockets 5-2. Away from home against Tri-City on Feb. 7, Reschny had three points (2G, 1A) in a 9-1 victory and then added two more helpers in a 5-4 overtime victory against Spokane on Feb. 8. Reschny sits 12th in WHL scoring with 71 points while his 50 assists are tied for seventh most.

In goal, the Royals’ Johnny Hicks won both of his starts last week. In Victoria’s win over Kelowna on Feb. 5, Hicks made 31 saves while on Feb. 7 he made 23 saves against Tri-City two days later. In six games since he left the BCHL to join the Royals, Hicks is 4-2-0 with a .922 save percentage and 2.34 GAA.